Vivek Mohan Gives Talk On Privacy and Cybersecurity

On Tuesday, October 4 2016, Vivek Mohan, Privacy Counsel at Apple, gave a talk on the “Privacy and Cybersecurity: Legal Issues in Private Practice” at Yale Law School. Mohan discussed how U.S. law is often difficult to apply to new technologies, due mainly to outdated definitions and conceptions of communications. Mohan suggested that the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986, which defines “electronic communication” in a manner inconsistent with today’s technological world, is a perfect example of this. Mohan further explained that due to a disparity in the perception of the right to privacy between the EU and U.S., the EU has stopped transmitting sensitive information to the U.S. Mr. Mohan talked briefly about the FBI v. Apple dispute. He argued technology companies did a good job explaining to the public why privacy is important and why it should be protected at all costs. Mohan was speaking in his personal capacity, and not on behalf of Apple, Inc. The talk was co-sponsored by the Center for Global Legal Challenges and the Information Society Project.
 
Mr. Mohan also joined a small group of interested students to discuss his career development over breakfast on Tuesday, October 4. He discussed his current role at Apple Inc., talked about how his current job differs from his previous roles in government and as a litigator at Sidley Austin, and gave students advice on how to craft a legal career in privacy and security law. The breakfast was co-sponsored by the Center for Global Legal Challenges and the National Security Group.